Swatch Island

Hmm...having trouble deciding on an alternate color scheme in case my Knit Picks order doesn't arrive by August 1st for the WestKnits Mystery Shawl KAL 2011: Earth & Sky. So far I'm really not liking these. I bought things to match some stash, but that really never works. As it is, I'll need to buy new, but I love that the Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport is so affordable. Here it is in charcoal and gray with my stashed Rowan Felted Tweed. I think it needs a denim blue instead of the red. The fabric has really nice drape on size 4. These photos are really crummy and I folded the swatch because it's curled.

Here is the stashed Koigu with the new Dream in Color Smooshy in a dark black raspberry sort of color. I love the DIC and Koigu separately, but so NOT together. The koigu will be sent back to it's originally purchased purpose: socks. Now I need something to go with the Smooshy.

I'll most likely end up doing the KAL with the knit picks yarn as that is my palette of choice these days: tidepool heather (a turquoise), celadon heather, verdant heather (a dark greyish green).

WIPs Week

Well, it's been over 2 years since I posted, but I have been knitting and crocheting. Recently joined a new knitting group after several failed attempts trying to get some of my Hip Mama friends together. There was interest, but with motherhood, child emergencies come up at the last minute resulting in cancellations.

I'm going to join in on the WestKnits Mystery Shawl 2011 KAL, which means freeing up my size 4 needles. Stephen West's "Herbivore" had been hibernating on those needles for a while because the twisted rib stitch was so slow. On Thursday, I retrieved the project and pressed on, finally completing it Saturday night. The cast-off took the entire duration of a movie! Ugh. Will block today, pics to follow soon. I wasn't pleased with the Malabrigo Sock yarn either, it pilled/fuzzed up a lot while working on it. My hands get dry and snaggy in winter, which really fuzzed up the yarn despite using hand lotion. Not sure what yarn I'll use for the KAL, pics of color choices coming soon.

Now I'm going to spend the next few days completing my Citron, using Dream in Color Baby in a lovely shade of mossy green. Love that yarn, picked it up at a nice sale price. I'm using the whole skein, so modified the pattern and calculated more section increases.

I'm also going to unravel a cotton cowl in progress (that had a major mistake) and set it aside possibly for a Boneyard Shawl in the future. It's a nice denim blue that will be great with jeans.

After I finish the KAL, I will start a Daybreak. I am really in love with Stephen West patterns.

So once I finish up a few things, that leaves only a couple WIPs remaining: Lady Eleanor, Hanami Stole and a Clapochet. My Lade E has about 4 skeins to go, Hanami has 1 chart to go and Clapochet is half done, using Zauberball sock.

Other crochet projects are a Hexagon baby blanket (half done) for a brand new baby, and another hexagon blanket for my daughter. Almost done with a daisy square throw as well. These will be mostly be winter projects since they grow on one's lap when joining.

Scrappy Doo

When the crawling began, along with the warm weather, I thought some baby knee pads were in order. Used up some Cascade Quattro stash scraps. I know I wrote down what I did, but can't find the email to myself. Not much required in the way of a pattern. Made a tube with ribbing at each end, then folding the ends in for double thickness and stitched the ends together.

I don't know what has happened to my hands, wrists and elbows lately, but my right hand is killing me, my left elbow aches and this morning while knitting, my left fingers went numb! Augh! Stop the insanity! I think my evening knitting posture may have something to do with it.

S's Runaround Raglan Cardigan (ravelry) is pretty much done, just need to weave in ends, block and sew on buttons. I've cast on for K's Runaround Raglan Pullover (both in Cascade 220), and cast on for Shawl That Jazz (ravelry) in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Twisted. The Pinwheel Sweater (ravelry) needs one more sleeve, but I need a break from doing a sleeve on dpn's. Also, my row gauge was a bit off so the sweater doesn't encompass me as much as I would like. It will be a shruggish sweater rather than a warming jacket kind of thing.

I'd Rather Be Knitting

On Saturday, I went for a full body massage for the first time ever, using an ancient unredeemed gift certificate. From what I had heard from people, seen portrayed on TV and in movies, I was expecting to leave there in a state of puddleness. Not so. I couldn't turn my brain off during the massage. While I enjoyed the quiet room and soft music, I found myself thinking of the laundry, home improvement projects that will never get done, and a myriad of other things I shouldn't have been wasting thought on. Oddly enough, my friend felt the same way. We both said that one of the only things we do that allows our mind to be free of thought is knitting.

I awoke the next morning with a very stiff neck, blaming the massage. My friend also had a sore spot on her shoulders. Coincidence? Maybe. We also both came down with a cold the day after the massage.

Won't be doing that again. I'm just not into the whole pampering lifestyle. I'd rather be knitting for relaxation any day. During my illness I have recently picked up an incomplete pair of Colinette Jitterbug socks (yarn that I won from a contest SJ had a while ago) and am working on that in between moments of twin feeding and diaper duty.

Finished Object!

Moss Stitch Beret, by Kent Turman - on Ravelry
Time Frame: Saturday, January 23- February 6, 2009
Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) circ and dpns
Yarn: Cascade 220, a dark mossy green (lost the band)
Made for: my dad, for his 75th birthday

Mods: cast on 98 stitches to fit my dad's 23.5 inch head, for increases stitch markers were placed every 18/19 stitches.

I love, love, LOVE this pattern! This was my first time doing a hemmed brim. Can't wait to do another. I really like the nicely finished edge!

Cozy Noggin

I know it's been AGES since I wrote anything, but it's also been AGES since I've had much chance to knit. Here is girl baby in her new hat. She only looks sad because it was hot that day, and anyone who knows babies knows that their heads kick out a ton of heat! This pic accentuates her kissable and pinchable cheeks! Must go, have boy baby's sweater to finish before he's too big to wear it!

Hopefully, after Knit Fest at Yvonne's this weekend, much progress will be made on my Startitis problem. Maybe I'll have some Finishitis on the horizon, but it's doubtful with all the hilarity we will encounter. Must not have hopes of working on anything too mind-numbing.

STARCH...it's what's for dinner!

NOT crummy white pasta, NOT white bread french toast...NO! Nothing other than banana buckwheat pancakes, from scratch. Not even a buckwheat mix...no way. That's not the way I operate. And...they were drizzled with grade B pure maple syrup, which is less processed than grade A. Mmm mmm, washed down with a cup of PG Tips tea. It doesn't get any better than this. It's been a weird food day in general. 2 dippy eggs and toast for breakfast, a big handful of parsley (my warm weather addiction) mid-morning, vanilla soy chai protein shake for lunch, air-popped popcorn for a mid-afternoon snack, and now these pancakes that are reminiscent of steam-rolled banana nut muffins. Not that you would really want to EAT flattened muffins. Sadly, I was out of nuts.

Organizing the nusery continued this morning, after a brief stint to the flea market in Aspinwall. I was hoping some of the local farmers would have SOMETHING from their fields, but then again it is only the end of April and we live in Zone...blah blah...one of the cold zones. I thought for sure there would be some greenhouse lettuce or spinach, but the only findings at the market were fleas.

Anyhoo, after the baby shower last week, it really looked like a bomb went off in the nursery, and I was bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff. But...after some perseverance, it's coming together and we are ready for parenthood. Even got my hospital bag packed.


I finished the Modified Drops Eyelet Baby Cardigan (for more details, look it up on Ravelry. I'm too lazy to link) 2 weeks ago, but have yet to buy the buttons. Late this afternoon I resumed work on the Baby Cardigan Set by Opal Yarns, which should be done pretty soon. This one looks like a mess at the moment, but you can use your imagination.



The COOLEST news of the day is that our lawn is even greener. No, not because of Chemlawn or some other earth-unfriendly poisonous treatment. We bought a REEL mower today...you know, the Norman Rockwell kind! K has been complaining for years that he feels sick after running the gas mower, and he had the most joyous lawn mowing experience of his life! He can't wait to cut it again! The contraption is from Home Depot, weighs 30 pounds, and is a dream to push rather effortlessly. It makes a really neat clippety-clip sound. I can actually have a conversation with him while he's mowing, it's that quiet. It's nice to just smell cut grass instead of gasoline and exhaust.

So what with the reel mower, drying clothes on the clothesline, and no cable TV (which we haven't had for several years and don't miss in the least), we are venturing back in time to a simpler life. Ahhh...bliss.

No More Feng Shui

Well, bottom line is...Babies = Clutter. This room WAS the most serene in the house until we started gathering gear and stuff. The first shower was yesterday at work.
Babies also = strangeness. Form out of function? Perhaps. Hence, the diaper cake, which is falling apart a bit, and the stork baskets. They had plants in them, which are gardenias. I'm going to have to recycle the plants to someone soon because gardenias are one of THE biggest headache triggers for me. The storks are actually things we get from one of the specialty pharmacies. Will recycle the baskets back to work for the next shower.


And lastly, babies = organizing. Already with one shower and a couple drawers of used clothes, there's A LOT. Can't really do much until the family shower. Then I'll send my mom on some return/exchange missions.


I'm gimped out today because I pulled some ligament in my left hip. Am using a cane, and also borrowed crutches from my MIL. As a result of said injury, slept worse than ever. Am going for another nap. The baby sweater knitting can wait.